New Ayalon Highway Lane Opens, Expanding Rapid Transit Project

Israel has launched the second phase of its rapid transit lanes project with the opening of a new transportation hub in Rishon LeZion and a dedicated lane on the Ayalon Highway northbound from Tel Aviv to Rishon LeZion. This new 25-kilometer lane is exclusively for public transportation, including four new shuttle lines serving key Tel Aviv business districts such as Kirya, Bourse, Begin-Ha'Masger, and Yigal Alon. Residents from the Shfela and Southern regions can now park their cars in Rishon LeZion and utilize these shuttles for a faster commute to Tel Aviv. The shuttles will run every 5 minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes otherwise, with the service currently free of charge.

The Rishon LeZion hub offers approximately 3,500 parking spaces, 350 charging stations for electric vehicles, and 500 bicycle parking spots. This phase follows the initial stage launched six months prior, which opened an 18-kilometer section of the rapid lanes between the Peace Interchange in Tel Aviv and Shefayim, including a transportation hub with 7,000 parking spaces. That hub is currently at 50% capacity, serving about 3,500 vehicles daily with shuttle services to major employment and commercial centers.

The overall project, led by Netivei Ayalon, is estimated to cost around 8 billion shekels, with the state investing 4 billion shekels in infrastructure and the new lane construction. The operational and maintenance concession was awarded to "Nativ La'Ir," a consortium including "Dan Neativim" (part of Dan Transportation), Danya Cebus, and Electra.

While currently only shuttles can use the new lane, private vehicles with three or more passengers will be permitted to use it without charge starting in early 2027. At that time, the lane will also become a toll road, allowing private vehicles with one or two passengers to use it for a variable fee based on traffic congestion and the number of toll segments passed. The road is divided into seven segments for toll calculation: two southbound, three northbound, and two on the central route between Netanya and Shefayim, where the direction of travel can change based on traffic.